The bunker was buried a dozen feet below the surface. The room's walls were made of dirt with a handful of gas lanterns to illuminate the room. Two tables with thin legs stood together in the center of the room to support the large map. The air was dry, full of dust, and stunk of decaying flesh. There were a few wooden beams to support the dirt roof and walls. Outside, it was night.
Stuffed into the room were ten men! Two were guards with wooden rifles; they were guarding the only way into the room. Another soldier sat in a dark corner of the room by himself. He was in agony because one of his legs was missing and had been bandaged over. He also had his head and chest wrapped in bloody cotton. It was unclear if he would live to see dawn. A surgeon sat on the floor with a single patient lying on a mat. The surgeon was working with sewing thread as he tried to mend a bullet wound in the jackal's chest. The dark colored jackal also had a primitive brace on one of his legs made of two pieces of wood. His left leg had been broken. He did not have any sedatives, so he was feeling the surgeons needle in its entirety, but he only gritted his teeth.
Also in the room was a short strange angular man with a long trench coat. His skin was as pale as a ghost's, but the space under his eyes was black, like war paint. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head was tilted down. He kept a hood over his bald exterior and leaned back against the wall as he carefully kept watch of the surgeon and his work. Although he watched him, he stood on the opposite side of the room because he also wanted to watch the meeting taking place. Two men, large with muscle, stood huddled over the table. They looked like twins, if it wasn't for the scar on the face of one of their eyes. They had square heads, dry rough skin, square shoulders, and legs too short to go with their massive chests.
Also standing at the table with them was an extremely tall man, at least 6 and half feet! He was huge, but unusually thin, like a pencil. He had nerd written all over him as he wore large square glasses and let his buck teeth dig into his lower lip. His fingers were long and were busy pointing at various points on the map. The last man in the room was young, really young. Barely a teenager, he stood at 4'8" and coward by one of the guards at the doorway. He had long legs and was extremely agile. Which is why he was a messenger boy.
Everyone present was involved in some way, shape, or form in the war going on outside. The twins were generals that wore dark green uniforms. Their many medals were absent from their uniforms. The tall nerd wore a dark tuxedo with dirt stains in it. The shoulder was torn and the thing was ripped in various places. The messenger boy wore rags sewn together from old towels you'd normally use to dry off once you got out of the shower. The guards wore your typical World War Two uniforms, minus the helmets. They kept their rifles pointed at the ceiling and their faces perfectly still.
The two generals were arguing with the nerd, who was a strategist. "There has to be some way we can win!"
"Look," the nerd was frustrated. "Once the Angels get their artillery to the top of these mountains," he pointed at a mountain range on the map, "they'll bomb El Derrotado into oblivion! If we don't stop that artillery movement, our capital is toast in five hours."
The scarred general spoke up with a sigh, "we don't have any anti-artillery shields up. We also don't have the infantry to take on the forces defending their weapons. So what do you suggest?" He looked at the strategist expectantly.
There was a long wait as he thought. "We could try to send in a small covert op and try to sabotage their gun emplacements." The un-scarred general was shacking his head as he continued. "But that would only slow them down. In short, El Derrotado is doomed. There is no way it will survive that bombardment and there is no way we can defeat the swarm of Angels coming through the pass."
"Are you saying we've lost the war!?" the un-scarred general slammed his hands on the table.
He looked at him sternly. "You were the one who failed to fortify the canyon as I told you. Now that they're through...it's over. The Angels will take the mountain outpost in a few hours. Then they'll start the attack."
The scarred general jumped in, "we have to strike first then!"
"With what?! All our remaining troops are under-aged and under-trained children! Some don't even know which end of the rifle to point at the bad guy!" the nerd erupted on the general.
"Reinforcements from--"
"Are days away! Our capital is about to fall and there is nothing we can do except surrender."
"What about my pay," came a slow deep voice from behind the generals.
They turned and looked at the man wearing a black leather trench coat. "What about it?" asked the scarred general.
"The deal was when you won the war, I'd get paid, no less than one hundred million dollars. Am I still getting paid?" His voice was clearly that of an evil man with many dark stories to tell. His eyes were full of malice and anger.
"What are you talking about? Everyone here is going down fighting, including you," the un-scarred general pointed at him defiantly.
The pale skinned man burst out laughing. "That's ridiculous! Why should I die with you losers? I'm a mercenary, I have no real stake in this petty squabble of yours. All I want is my money."
"The deal was when we 'won'. We aren't going to win, and therefor have nothing to pay you," the scarred general retorted.
"I don't care," he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards them intimidatingly. "I'm not going to die with you humans and I'm not leaving your pathetic little country empty handed either. I didn't spend the past three years of my life fighting the Angels to get nothing in return. Now you pay up...or I take your heads off."
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Shadaico began to wake from his dream. Before opening his eyes, he sighed. The battle of El Derrotado, the capital of a nation that foolishly decided to fight the Angels. He had been the jackal on the mat that the surgeon was working on! It was back in his younger days when he was a mercenary for hire. His fellow mercenary had turned on his employers when they asked him to go down fighting with them. Shadaico had only gotten involved in the war in the last few months, just before the fall of El Derrotado. After Jack, the other mercenary, turned on the generals, the two of them fled the country just before it collapsed. They soon became partners in crime, but it didn't last long.
Jack had been in the mercenary business for a shorter period of time then Shadaico and he was several years younger. But the guy had skill. He was proficient with a weapon unlike the norm. It was like a glove with daggers on each finger, but the daggers were long. Unfortunately for Jack, he himself had some serious mental problems as well as an underlying case of stupidity. Jack never understood the ways of the world, like governments or the economy. He never bothered to figure it out either. Shadaico always saw him as incompetent. If it wasn't for his abilities, the guy would have been a waste of flesh...in Shadaico's opinion of course.
As Shadaico pushed his eyes open, he was greeted by a pair of large greenish orbs! Startled for a second, he pulled back from them to see them better. He quickly found himself starring at a butter yellow pegasus with a pink mane. She jumped back as well and coward behind a coffee table. Shadaico suddenly noticed his front left leg had been encased in a cast. He could also feel the stitching on his muzzle and side. They itched. Without thinking, his paw reached up and began to scratch his face. The yellow pegasus jumped out of hiding and seized his paw. She quickly began scolding.
He knew she was right, he shouldn't touch the stitches, they needed time to heal. Then another thought crossed his mind, where was he and who was this pegasus? Shadaico remembered Blank and his unprovoked attack. This must have been part of his plan, but what was the goal? This pegasus must not have heard that Shadaico was the one that attacked the castle. She must have thought he was just a hurt animal.
Shadaico quickly took in his surroundings as he continued to ignore the noises the pegasus was making, he still couldn't understand her language anyway. He was in some kind of cottage that seemed designed to accommodate a multitude of animals as well as the owner herself. At least, he assumed the place belonged to the timid creature. Shadaico progressed further with his analysis and found himself on a couch with a small table nearby. A cup of the herbal tea was back and he eyed it longingly. He would love to numb all the pain he'd been feeling lately.
He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts when a small purple and green dragon came into the room from some sort of kitchen. It had been a long time since he'd seen a baby dragon and it was quiet impressive. To think such a small helpless creature could become a fire breathing beast.
*****
"Is the wolf awake Fluttershy?" Spike waddled into the room after hearing her talking to someone. As he entered, the wolf eyed him carefully. The wolf was sitting upright on the couch with his back straight, but left his chest deflated. It gave him a curved unhealthy look. His injuries and the screws in his back should have left him immobile from pain, but he was looking around and sitting without a problem it seemed. That kind of pain tolerance was unheard of.
Fluttershy turned away from Shadaico and looked at Spike, "I can't get him to lay back down. He might hurt himself! Spike, can you help me lay him down?"
"Assistant Spike at your service," he gave a salute before he came over. Secretly, he was in awe of the wolf. He was strong, that was obvious. He was turning and bending as he looked around, movements like that had to hurt with those screws in his back. But he didn't so much as flinch or wince. He looked bored more then anything. When Spike was by Fluttershy's side, he paused. How was he supposed to get a wolf to lay down without making him mad?
"Uh Fluttershy. How do I do that?"
"Oh. Well...uhm. Mr. Wolf? Can you please lay down? We need to look at those injuries."
He regarded her for a moment before his eyes drifted to the cup on the table. Spike followed his gaze as Fluttershy tried to recapture his attention.
*****
Shadaico didn't consider the pegasus or her dragon friend a threat. He just found them boring. They obviously had been the ones that treated him, but why? He was a monster as far as they should be concerned, and in two ways. Not only did he nearly destroy a castle, but he was a carnivores animal now. This pegasus was likely a herbivore and therefore easily on the menu. Despite that, he understood her fondness for animals based on her house and her gentle demeanor. She was as innocent as they came and Shadaico considered himself lucky.
Shadaico couldn't help but eye the herbal tea over and over. He liked the taste of it and it helped him heal. The dragon finally caught on and picked up the cup. The tea was long since cool, but he still offered Shadaico the liquid. He grinned as Shadaico reached out with on oddly dexterous paw and grasped the cup. Greedily, Shadaico downed the tea and immediately felt the drowsiness of the medicine kick in. Shadaico barely got the cup back to the dragon before he began to rock back and forth. The world was going sideways in seconds.
His pain was washed away in a flash as he tilted further and further over. The pegasus caught him when he went too far. She gently laid him down on the couch again. Shadaico fought sleep so he could enjoy the sensation of no pain. Shadaico never was one to get high or enjoy drugs, mostly because of damage to his body. Believe it or not, you do need a healthy brain and liver to live a life like Shadaico.
But he was throwing all those notions out the door as he tried his hardest to enjoy those precious moments before he lost consciousness again...
*****
As the wolf fell asleep again, Fluttershy sighed. She was glad he was so easy to work with, but a little concerned about his addiction to the medicine. She was still trying to come up with a way she could remove the screws in his back though. How come he could move so freely? They clearly went right through his shoulder blades, so he shouldn't have been able to use his legs. Fluttershy could tell there was some kind of enchantment on the metal, but she had no idea what it might have been.
"If only Twilight was here..." Fluttershy whispered as she pet Shadaico's head. She needed her expertise and knowledge to treat this patient. Spike was nice company and he had agreed to stay, unlike Dash, but he didn't know how he could help much. Speaking of Spike...
"Is he dangerous?"
"I don't think so. He didn't seem very aggressive and he drank the tea without putting up a fuss. I think he'll be fine until Twilight can get here and help with the screws."
"Do you want me to stay here?"
"Oh, I'd most appreciate that Spike. But, if your not at the library, we won't know when Twilight gets back. If you don't mind, could you go wait for her and tell her to come her as soon as possible?"
"As if I could say no!" Spike saluted and ran out the door.
Fluttershy smiled, he sure was cute when he did that. Fluttershy took a look at the wolf and gave a nod. She needed to get him some water and put together a meal he would eat. Now she just had to think what a wolf would like to eat...
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Twilight had a heavy saddlebag with the chest of the Elements of Harmony inside. It was just past noon as she stared out the window. She couldn't help but think how she was going to tell the others that there was a monster on the loose and they had to be ready at a moments notice to fight it if it showed up. All she knew about the creature was that it looked like a wolf and had magic seals in its body. She also knew that it was friends with a changeling that was only two inches tall. But why?
What would a super powerful wolf need a changeling as an ally for? Another thing that bothered her was how they spoke a custom language. How smart were they that they could invent a language!? An accomplishment like that was unprecedented. It was even more disturbing when you began asking why they did it. What made them create a language only they spoke? Were they evil? It would seem that way, after the damage they did to Canterlot.
The train station in Ponyville appeared out the window. In twenty minutes, she'd be home with her friends. She took the time to look around the car. She was the only passenger in the cozy little box. The chairs were velvet with lots of stuffing inside. They were comfortable and a bright pink. The windows were large and round as well. None of that was really on her mind though. She was reviewing everything she knew about magic, specifically, combat. If they were going to fight this thing, it might be necessary to use additional spells. Not that she thought the Elements of Harmony wouldn't be enough, but it was better safe than sorry.
When the train came to a stop and Twilight got off, she immediately groaned. The ordeal Fluttershy had faced in the Everfree had left the town scared. So they had put together a town watch. Now that rumors of the Canterlot attack were spreading like wildfire, few ponies were outside. Paranoia and fear had caused most ponies to lock themselves indoors! Twilight thought it was not only silly, but also unhealthy.
She didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts as she headed for the library. Rather then carry the Elements around their necks all day, which would cause even more fear in the locals, Twilight figured it was better to store them in the library for safe keeping. Her plan was to then go out and tell each of her friends individually what Celestia had told her. The plan seemed good and Twilight made good time when she arrived at home. As she walked in, she quickly hid the chest with the Elements in a small compartment hidden in the shelves.
As she put the books back in place, Spike came through the door. "TWILIGHT! Your home!"
He ran up and hugged her. "I was only gone for a couple hours."
"We've got to go to Fluttershy's, she needs your help," Spike seemed stressed.
"Is everything okay?" Twilight was ready for action. If one of her friends was in danger, she was prepared to save them.
"She's okay, but she has a new patient and he's hurt really bad. She needs your help healing him."
"Why doesn't she just take the animal to the hospital?" Twilight was a little confused. What could she do better then the hospital?
"That's the thing Twilight. This isn't a normal injury. It's really freaky, it's like he's been tortured or something! Somepony hurt him and Fluttershy's really scared."
Twilight could understand now. If somepony had purposefully abused an animal and Fluttershy found out, she was going to be upset. "Let's get to her place then. I need to tell her something when this all over anyway."
They made their way to Fluttershy's and calmly knocked on the door. If it was an emergency, wouldn't they have just entered? Fluttershy cautiously opened the door and gave them access. "Oh I'm so glad your here Twilight. I don't know what to do."
Twilight was a little worried now. What had been done to this animal? When Fluttershy took her into the next room and showed her Shadaico, she near choked. It was a wolf slightly bigger than herself for one thing, but the torturous screws in its back were enough to petrify her. She had read about terrible torture techniques, but she'd never actually seen one. There was no doubt in her mind, somepony had captured this poor creature and then did awful things to it. Twilight felt so sorry for it.
"The medicine I gave him should help with the pain, but he drank it too fast and now he's asleep. Can you help me?"
Twilight realized her mouth was hanging open and quickly closed it. "I'm not sure how."
"What about the screws?" behind her eyes, Twilight could see tears of despair rising. She had been Fluttershy's last hope.
"I can try, but I've never seen something like this." Her own words made her freeze. A wolf and something she'd never seen before? That phrase sounded familiar. Putting that thought off to the side for a moment, she approached the wolf's sleeping form and began looking at the rods of metal in his back. She easily determined that they'd been there for some time, but something was off. There was some kind of magic pulsing through them at rapid intervals. The screws in question were enchanted somehow.
"Are you familiar with this species of wolf?" Twilight asked Fluttershy while she continued to look at him.
"No actually. I was hoping you could help with that too. If you don't have anything else important to do, I would really like to know."
"I'll go through some books and see if I can narrow it down." Twilight was looking at the platinum chain around Shadaico's neck now. "What's this?"
"I'm not sure. I thought it might be like a collar. Maybe somepony owns him, like a pet."
Spike waddled into the room, "so what's the diagnosis? Can you help him?"
Twilight straightened up. "Maybe. But these objects in his back are unusual. It's like there some kind of magic seal--" Twilight froze as her eyes grew huge. "Fluttershy?" Twilight asked in an eerily calm voice.
"Yes Twilight."
"Do you have any idea where this thing came from?" Twilight was stiff.
"I found it just off the road, it was horribly injured."
"Has it been awake since then?"
"For a few minutes," Fluttershy tilted her head. She didn't understand what Twilight was going on about.
"Did it try to hurt you?!" Twilight turned towards her suddenly.
After flinching a step back she responded, "no. He just looked around and drank the tea I offered him."
Twilight stared at her for a while. "That's......good. Can we speak in private for a moment?"
Spike cut in, "private of who? Me or the wolf?"
"Both of you!" Twilight snapped at him.
"Okay. You can go in the next room and I'll stay with Wolfy."
"Wolfy?" Fluttershy questioned.
"That's what I've decided to call him!" Spike chirped.
Twilight rolled her eyes and dragged Fluttershy into the kitchen. Twilight almost slammed the door and turned on Fluttershy. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"